IF Boston loses Game 7 (KG)

bluestang302 · Post #1 » by **bluestang302** » Sat May 3, 2008 4:33 pm

Does KG's stock/legacy drop more than any player in history because of one game? Seriously, does anyone have more on the line tomorrow than KG?

I'm pretty sure Boston will win, but IF they don't where does that leave KG? Does he go down in history as worse than Dirk? Surely the Duncan comparison is gone for good.

UDRIH14 · Post #2 » by **UDRIH14** » Sat May 3, 2008 4:53 pm

win or lose, you cant really compare him to duncan, what one years success overrides what duncan has done for the past 10 years? thats a slap in the face to duncan man. Duncan and the spurs are going through the west as compared to KG going through the east struggling against the hawks....

Duncan is the goat man, you have to compare KG to guys like barkley, malone....the 2-5 ranked PFs of all time.

TheKingOfVa360 · Post #3 » by **TheKingOfVa360** » Sat May 3, 2008 5:11 pm

KG isn't on the level of Barkley, Malone, Hell Elvin Hayes and Bob McAdoo where as good as he is.

War3player · Post #4 » by **War3player** » Sat May 3, 2008 5:16 pm

7 first round exits before a prime Cassell and a prime Sprewell helped him get over the hump for 1 year and then straight to the worst team in the league. His legacy already isn't that good.

bluestang302 · Post #5 » by **bluestang302** » Sat May 3, 2008 5:38 pm

My thought was that the jury was still out on his legacy. That he was given the benefit of the doubt for dealing with shoddy management in Minnesota all those years, and that the one year he had the best talent they went far in the playoffs. So now, with a fresh start on a new team with 2 all-stars he can finally prove himself and cement his legacy for good. But if he LOSES, in what would probably be the biggest upset in NBA history (more so than Dallas-GSW last year I think)... then that is all down the drain. The benefit of the doubt would be gone.

schaffy · Post #6 » by **schaffy** » Sat May 3, 2008 5:39 pm

War3player wrote:7 first round exits before a prime Cassell and a prime Sprewell helped him get over the hump for 1 year and then straight to the worst team in the league. His legacy already isn't that good.

Prime?? You are joking right? He was like 35 years old his first year in Minny. And in the WCF he was hurt and so was the backup PG. I remember the TNT guys talking about how the Wolves had a PG who had played in like 10 games all year starting. And they still took the Lakers to 6 games.

And the next year, Sammy was hurt and only played in like 60 games and his numbers dropped in every category.

And Sprewell was like 33 or 34 years old at the time. They were not in their primes.

And that next year they "went straight to the worst team in the league" Yea, they missed the playoffs by one game and were still 6 games over 500. But other than those small errors, you did a good job of backing up an argument. :roll:

Post #7 » by **CBS7** » Sat May 3, 2008 5:47 pm

I've been defending KG for years, but if he can't get it done vs an 8 seed with a great supporting cast, I'd say his reputation as a player would take quite a hit.

HarlemHeat37 · Post #8 » by **HarlemHeat37** » Sat May 3, 2008 7:11 pm

every player that had an argument based on hypothetical situations will take a legacy hit if they can't take advantage of their few legit chances..

Garnett's legacy will take a MASSIVE hit if they are eliminated in the 1st round..it would be the biggest embarrassment in sports history IMO..but if he doesn't win a title in the next few years, his legacy will also take a slight hit, especially if they lose to the Spurs in one of them..

Kobe's legacy takes a hit if he doesn't win a title in the next few years, since he has a great supporting cast now..

Lebron's legacy would take a hit if he gets legit teammates and doesn't win..

it's the same with everyone..losing this series would be a MASSIVE hit though..

Post #9 » by **TheOUTLAW** » Sat May 3, 2008 7:27 pm

Actually I don't think that Kobe's legacy takes a hit if he doesn't win. He will actually improve his standing if he does win and not the other way around.

HarlemHeat37 · Post #10 » by **HarlemHeat37** » Sat May 3, 2008 7:29 pm

I disagree, because that would mean he never won as a #1..but that's irrelevant to this thread, so whatever..

KNICKS1970 · Post #11 » by **KNICKS1970** » Sat May 3, 2008 8:20 pm

There hasn't been a legacy-defining game like this since Jordan won his sixth title at the last second in 1998. And there's never been a potentially negative defining game ever.

One of the best examples of a legacy-defining game that brought down a great player's legacy was Knicks-Lakers Game 7 in 1970 for Wilt Chamberlain. True, it wasn't entirely his fault they lost that series, but true, he ultimately redeemed himself by redefining his game and was the Finals MVP of arguably the greatest team ever (the 1971-1972 Lakers). But that deer-in-headlights and "what the hell is happening" body language he had throughout that Game 7 does stand out in my mind when I'm ranking the greatest players ever.

The other great example is the Kobe tantrum in Game 7 against the Suns in 2006, when he basically refused to shoot the ball in the second half after being criticized for hogging the ball. True, he did carry what should've been a terrible team to the playoffs, and true, he has redeemed himself by winning the MVP and perhaps seal his place in history by winning a title this year. But that game still stands out in my mind.

Some would argue that those games shouldn't stand out, because every great player has their bad games and bad days. But they do stand out for me because they aren't isolated incidents. Wilt did "wilt" in many important playoff games before that. Kobe had a similar temper tantrum in a regular season game against the Kings back in the Shaq era. That's why those games are so "defining".

But neither of those games had as much riding on the line as the one KG has tomorrow. Wilt and Kobe were already NBA champions. Wilt already had more than enough examples where he completely destroyed the competition. Kobe already had numerous clutch performances where he lifted the team when they needed it the most. You can argue that Wilt was a choke artist and Kobe was a selfish player based on those games, but you can also give counterarguments to that. Those games are part of their legacy, but their legacies aren't completely defined by those single games.

That's not the case with Kevin Garnett. This is the most important game of his career. If the Celtics lose that game, it will be the greatest upset in NBA history and one of the greatest upsets in the history of sports. Unlike Wilt and Kobe, if the Celtics lose Game 7, for better or worse, this WILL be what people remember about the great Kevin Garnett.

bluestang302 · Post #12 » by **bluestang302** » Sat May 3, 2008 8:25 pm

^ I feel the same way, which is why I made the thread. Good post

I don't think KG's legacy improves unless Boston wins the title. But it can take a hit if they get bounced out of the playoffs early, and a massive hit if they lose tomorrow.

GoBobcats · Post #13 » by **GoBobcats** » Sat May 3, 2008 8:27 pm

CBS7 wrote:I've been defending KG for years, but if he can't get it done vs an 8 seed with a great supporting cast, I'd say his reputation as a player would take quite a hit.

I agree.
Its a must win siuation for KG